Not Sure Where to Start with Personalized Learning? Three Tips for Nonprofits
I knew I wanted to record an episode on personalized learning. So I asked myself, why do people want that? Why do people want personalized learning? And why does it work?
When I started thinking about things in my life that have been personalized like birthday parties, or baby showers, things that were just for me - I cherished them. Our learners want that. They want something that is for them, that feels like the perfect fit for exactly what they need when they need it.
But for those of us who work in Learning and Development, personalized learning can sound scary. So in today's episode of Learning for Good, we'll explore three tips for getting started with personalized learning in your nonprofit. I want to make it a little less scary.
Listen to the episode or scroll down to read the blog post ↓
Key Points:
03:42 What is personalized learning?
04:59 Creating competency-based learning journeys
06:40 Incorporating self-reflection in training to give a student ownership in the learning process
07:56 Adding coaching both supports and personalizes a learning experience
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Not Sure Where to Start with Personalized Learning? Three Tips for Nonprofits
Okay, here's something you may not know about me. Are you ready?
I'm a girl mama originally from the south transplanted to Chicago. And if there's one thing you should know about a Southern girl Mom, it’s that we love personalization. If it can be monogrammed, it will be monogrammed.
My kids have their names or initials on backpacks, beach towels, dresses, you name it. Things are just so much sweeter when they are personalized.
Why am I telling you this?
Well, I knew I wanted to record a podcast episode on personalized learning. And I was asking myself, why do people want that? Why do people want personalized learning? And why does it work?
And so I started thinking about things in my life that have been personalized just for me - birthday parties, baby showers, that ID bracelet I received as a kid, or a snuggle from my littles. Those things were just for me, and I cherished them. Even if that ID bracelet eventually tarnished. Because it meant something to me. It was for me.
Our learners want that. They want something that is for them. That feels like the perfect fit for exactly what they need, when they need it.
But for those of us who work in Learning and Development, personalized learning sounds scary, am I right? So I want to explore three tips for getting started with personalized learning in your nonprofit. I want to make it a little less scary.
But first, what is personalized learning?
Trainingindustry.com offers a definition of personalized learning and I want to share that with you.
They define personalized learning as the customization and adaptation of educational methods and techniques so that the learning process is optimized for each individual learner.
Customization. Adaptation. Optimization.
Big, important words.
Here's the thing, how do we make it feel like a learning experience is meant for the learner? That's what it comes down to.
I want to share three tips for getting started with personalized learning in your nonprofit
We’re going to explore each of those tips in more detail.
1) Creating Competency-Based Learning Journeys
Start with competency-based learning journeys. Competencies are a great way to set clear expectations for staff.
I talk about this more in Episode 34: Get Clear on Staff Expectations with This Fundamental Resource.
Set expectations for what staff need to be able to do in their current role. And then set expectations for what they need to be able to do as they grow into their next role.
If you don't have a competency model yet and you need help figuring out which competencies are right for your nonprofit, check out Episode 20: How to Determine Which Competencies Are Right for You.
I have several competency model episodes out there and they'll definitely be helpful for you if you're just getting started, or you're trying to figure out how to use the competency model for learning and development. You can find them below:
Episode 19: One Nonprofit's Honest Opinion after 6 Months with a Competency Model
Episode 18: Four Reasons Your Competencies Don’t Work
Once you have those competencies in place, you can create competency-based learning journeys. All that is, is learning journeys that are intended to develop the competencies and the behavioral indicators that you've identified as important at each level in your organization from the support staff to senior leaders.
When we create competency-based learning journeys, we're creating experiences that build the specific competencies our learners need now or in the future. This allows us to create learning journeys that are tailored to their needs.
We know the learning experience will be relevant to their work, or their career growth.
And bonus, we also know that the learning experience will benefit your nonprofit because your organization's strategies and needs are part of the process when identifying the competencies to begin with.
So competency-based learning journeys are a great way to make sure that the learning is personalized.
2) Incorporating Self Reflection into the Learning Process
Another way to personalize a learning experience is to incorporate a self-reflection or other assessment tool.
This is another great place to start. If you already have set learning experiences, and you don't have the time or the budget to redesign them to make them personalized, start here.
When you incorporate a self-reflection or an assessment tool into your learning experience, you're prompting the learner to become more self-aware of their learning needs and wants. This can allow them to enter the learning experience with some specific goals in mind.
So maybe the learning experience is about good listening skills. And maybe it's the same experience that everyone else in the organization is attending.
But if I as a learner have taken time to reflect first, and to set my own goals, I'm able to go into that learning experience with a different mindset or a different approach than the person next to me. I can listen for specific things that I want to learn, and I can practice the specific things that I want to do differently.
And this gives me an element of personalization and ownership in my own learning process.
So a self-reflection or assessment tool is a great way to allow that learning experience to be more personalized.
3) Add Coaching to Support and Personalize the Learning Experience
Another great way to personalize a learning experience is to add coaching.
Coaching is a great wraparound support for any learning experience. But it also allows you to make the experience more personalized.
Meeting with a coach before the experience, after it, or even both allows the learners to set goals to reflect on their learning and to imagine how they might apply what they've learned on the job.
And then they can actually go apply what they’ve learned, reflect on how that application went, and really identify any lessons learned from that process.
The coaching is personalized, so it adds personalization to the overall experience.
Any element of personalization allows the learner to see themselves in the learning. It makes it feel like the perfect fit like it was made for them.
So just like that monogrammed hat, that cheap bike license plate you got when you were a kid, or the personalized keychain, you can create a learning experience that is right for them.
And then they never have to worry about not finding their name on that rotating rack at the store.
When you use these methods, it makes it feel like this learning experience is for the individual.
If you want support bringing personalized learning into your nonprofit, send me an email, and let's chat.
To hear the full conversation on the Learning for Good Podcast, scroll all the way up and tune into episode 41.
The Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective
Do you wish you could connect with other nonprofit learning and development leaders?
I know what it feels like to want someone to bounce ideas off of and to learn from, someone who really understands you and your work. Imagine if you could have a simple way to meet people in the field, ask questions, and share information.
That's why I created the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective – so nonprofit L&D, talent management, and DEI leaders can connect with each other quickly and easily in a virtual space.
When you join this community, you will walk away with a new, diverse, and powerful network – and a sounding board for your staff development needs.
So if you're ready to exchange ideas and collaborate with your peers, come join the Nonprofit L&D Collective.
